Product Description

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Kiwi
a Audio Enthusiast

Date Reviewed: June 8, 2009

Bottom Line:

This is simply the best audio component I have ever heard. This is ELAD is so good, I bought two of these, one for the main system and the other for the bedroom.
I have noticed that people would keep upgrading their system, different preamps, sources, power amps, speakers, speaker cables, and interconnect, and spend tons of money, yet they are still not happy with the sound of their system.

I have always felt that the preamp is the most important component in your audio system, your sources and your power amp, both get signals in and out of it, and if the preamp is not doing what its suppose to do, it will make an excellent source and amp sound very bad and fatigue sounding.

Ever since I got the ELAD, I am just having a great time with it, I have tried, just to see how good this ELAD is, many CD players, even DVD players, and this ELAD tells me how good or bad the source is. The truth is nothing I plugged in here sounded bad, mass market cd players sounded boring and non-engaging, not musical, some sounded really warm but at the expense of hiding detail.

The point is that with ELAD in chain, you will know how good your source is, as well as your power amp.

And if you are not happy with it, as Steve below points out, there is something else wrong with the rest of your system, either the source or the power amp/speakers.

I have had with me, over the years, McCormack DNA0.5, TLC, Spendors, Linn LP12, Micromega Stage 1 cd player and I still was not with the sound.

Out went all of these and in came, ELAD, now I reside Sonicville.

A word about Mr. Morrison, he, just like his ELAD, is excellent person to deal with, you talk to him and you would want him as your freind for life. He is very easy to talk to and a very honest person.

Have you noticed that ELAD does not come up for sale that much on sites such as audiogon? Have you wondered why? Here is why, who ever buys an ELAD, keeps it for life, this would be the best $800.00 you will ever spend.

And this is for those who are rolling their eyes, No Mr. Morrison has not paid me to write this review, I am just sharing my thoughts about this best sounding preamp called ELAD.

I've lived with the Morrison ELAD for a couple of years. This is a unique product. It does absolutely nothing to your system. Thats right nothing. No noise, no colorations, or other errors at all. If you put it into your system and don't like it, the problem is elsewhere. Your amps, interconnects, speakers, or room have problems. I've read all ninety plus prior reviews and most people get it. This is a product worthy of association with the very best gear available. Not the boutique products the major audiophile magazines tout, but those solidly engineered products you have to search for. Probably the best piece of audio gear I've 'never' heard. And by the way, it works with the best of both tube and solid state. You can't go wrong on this one, except that you may find yourself changing out the rest of your equipment to match the total neutrality this diminutive preamp provides. Simply the best. This preamp is for perfectionists, and not people who want to play the component of the month game.

For pure two channel audio - I think this preamp is hard to beat on any realistic budget. I bought this on the recommendation of a friend. I have owned a couple highly rated preamps and this one has stayed in my system longer than any other. It really provides excellent separation and you get the sense that the preamp does not add to/color or subtract from the sound in any way. When you listen to this for the first time, it gives you a sense of the importance of a good preamp in your system and how the system can really be affected by the "sound" of the preamp. I think this is a really good value, particularly on the used market.

I wrote a luke warm review of the ELAD years ago and it was promtply removed, leading me to believe there is a definite fix going on here at audio review. I have seen 2 other luke warm reviews removed here from other posters as well. I'm not going to go into detail because I don't expect this to remain long at all.

I didn't like the ELAD. There was no mid range bloom, no magic at all. The sound was slightly veiled to my taste and the ELAD is certainly not the last word in detail. I had an audio research sp9 to compare it to and the arc beat it. I didn't like either of the preamps and sold the ELAD immediately. Some will say I didn't give it a chance to break in. Sure...

Don't believe all the hype here. I don't know how to explain why this is 'the best reviewed' preamp at audio review but I never met a real audiophile who owned one. nor can I explain why my tepid review was summarily removed after it was posted. I did learn that the owner of audio review and Don morrison are friends so draw your own conclusion.

Don M. makes the best stereo components in the world. Period. I'm listening to "Mission" right now, after three years of moving this out of one vicious environment to another (Florida; Tampa; hurricanes; garage; motorcycles). Bryston 170 studio amp, Don's lovely preamp, B&W speakers.

My wife sometimes asks me, after we've been inside listening to the "home theater" system, "what about bass and treble?". And I have the obligatory IPod, larded up with the better-than Apple no-loss file transfer system songs, which I play occasionally through this preamp, just for kicks.

Boys and girls, listen up, because what I say is true: it's delightful to tune your motorcycle or just have a cup of java and read the paper with Don's little boxes.